Protective device



April 28, 1942. T. P. HOLLINGSWORTH 2,281,152

PROTECTIVE DEVICE Filed Nov. 29, 1940 3nventor attorneys.

Patented Apr. 28, 1942 STATES PATEN T OF Fl CE PROTECTIVE DEVICE Thomas Park Hollingswor'th, Lincoln, Kans. Application November. 29, 1%0, Serial No. 367,841

3 Glaims.

The present inventicnrelates ;to, improvements in protective: devices, and more particularlyrelatesto: an attachment for the helmet of; football playersmr' other; helmetsnusedini. sports in which the improvedxprotective; device is' designed" tovpermit wearingwof eyeglasses and to protect the playerrwearingzsame;

Anzobjectofthe invention isto provide a spectacle or eyeglass guard shield or protector: for use in all branches of athleticsadaptedto be originally made in or attached to a football helmet or. any other athletic head guard so that the player may wear. his or her glasses, or wherein the glasses may be attached to the guard itself. The: invention also contemplates the use of a guard orprotective device of: the character above outlined" in which the nose is alsoprotected by theiguard andin which the sideedges f theeyeglasses are protected from end thrusts while leaving the vision substantially clear ahead.

Afurther objectof the invention is-toprovide an improved protective device for eyeglasses ofathletes in which a. strong and rigid guard frame ofan open character isprovided upon a helmet;

With the foregoing and other; objects in view, the invention will be more fullydescribed hereinafter, and will bemore particularly pointed. out. in theclaims appended hereto.

In the drawing, wherein like symbols refer to,

like or corresponding parts. throughout. the several' views;

Figure 1 is. a front elevation. of animproved, protective device constructed according to, the

present invention andshown. as in use.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same with.

parts. broken. away and. parts shown in section.

Flgure 3 is a perspective view of a portion" broken away and showing the improved protec-- tive' device separate. and apart fromthe helmet.

Figure 4 is a perspectiveview, of a helmet, with parts broken away and parts shown in section, andillustrating a. modified form of the device in which the protective device is built into: the helmet and Figure 5' isafront elevational view of the device shown in. Figure 4.

Referring. more particularly to-the drawing 1:0

designates generally a: football or other athletic The space below built-in construction.

front of the helmet, which frame may be either an attachment to analread-y manufactured helmet or as a built-in device forming a part of the helmet during original manufacture.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 show the attachable form of the invention; while Figures i and 5 show the In Figure 3 the improved frameis shown in and by itself in which it is shownto; comprise generally the top bar; i5, bottom barl6- and the side bars l"! and ill-combining. in'a generalway to form a substantially rectangular construction which is reinforced and strengthened by the middle bar [9 also functioningasanoseprotector and extending directly in front of the bridge of the nose of the user asillustrated iH Figurel. The center bar 19 makes space small enough so footor hand cannot be pushed throughto reach glasses.

In line with this middle bar 19- and extendingupwardly above the top bar I5-isa tab=2ll having therein a socket or a member of a ball and socket or glove fastener or any other formof fasteningdevice, the other member of which 26 is carried by the frontal member I ll of the-helmet in a substantially central position.

This rectangular open frame must be left open at sidesof the middle bar lil so as not to interfere with the vision of the player, as suggested in" Figure 1. However such rectangular frameis subject to collapse and I therefore reinforce the same at both ends, andparticularly in line with the side edges of the eyeglasses so as. to avoid thrusts from this quarter. In accomplishing such objects I provide substantially triangular side frames or A-frameswhich consist of top legs 2! and bottom legs 22 joining with respectively the side bars l1 and I8 which form the hypotenuse membersof the triangles and toward the outer ends of which the legs 21: and 2? diverge. Such legs converge outwardly of the ends of the frame and meet in apex lobes 23 which carry members or fasteners ill-having mating fastener members upon the ear lobes l2 of the helmet near the side. edges of thefront open in place by the helmet strap l4 extending beneath the chin of the wearer.

In the use of the device the helmet is put in place in the usual manner over the head. of, the player and assumes the position indicated gen.- erally in Figure 1. The improved protector frame may be secured to the helmet before or after such helmet is donned. An old helmet may be equipped to receive the improved protective device by simply fabricating such old helmet with fastener members upon the frontal member and portion of the helmet. The helmet may be held rivets 24 and 25 to attach the device permanently to the helmet although the glove type of fastener will enable the protective frame to be easily and quickly attached in place. It is sometimes desirable in certain types of helmets to spread the ear lobes l2 in the act of inserting the helmet over the head. In such cases the protective frame may be either left off the helmet entirely until the helmet is in place or one of the fasten-- ings 23 may be simply undone which will allow for the necessary separation of the ear lobes l2.

In this aspect the protective frame when in place serves to hold the two ear lobes l2 together and against accidental separation and has the function to tend to retain the helmet in place while also protecting the eyeglasses of the wearer. The members of the frame are curved as indicated in Figures 2 and 4 in order to follow facial form and the curvature of the frontal member II and the position of the ear lobes 12. The lower member I6 preferably extends substantially across the bottom of the nose while the upper member extends in spaced relation below the frontal member ll of the helmet. The end bars I! and 18 throughout their major lengths will lie in the space between the ear lobes l2 although these members may possibly overlap slightly the ear lobes at their upper portions. However these members l2 not only reinforce and strengthen the rectangular frame of which they are a part but they are also positioned in closely spaced relation to the ear lobes to act as defensive armor against side thrusts which might reach the eyeglasses. In this respect the legs 2| and 22 also function as a guard against such thrusts while the openings through the triangles, insufficient in size to allow of the penetration of any such thrust to the eye or the eyeglasses, serve for visibility. The fact that the members of the triangular frames and the rectangular frame are bowed also serves to increase the rigidity and resistant action of such members to thrust.

Referring more particularly to .Figures 4 and 5. there is therein shown a built-in construction of protective device in which the top bar is desig nated at I5 and the lower bar at Hi such bars being connected together by the side bars I! and w in a substantially rectangular frame construction. The middle bar nose is in alinement with a top stem Zii which 7 extends up and into the frontal member I l of the helmet having forks 2'3 and 2E!" diverging in opposite directions and embedded and fastened in such frontal member l The side frames are, or may be, of slightly different form but they are substantial triangles and consist of the legs Zi and 22 with points of meeting 23* which are the same points utilized for joining such'side' frames to an embedded anchor or reinforcement 2%. Such anchors 24 are embodied in the ear lobes if of the helmet and the legs 21 and 22 are likewise embedded in the material of the ear lobes l2 and project therefrom so as to enable the spacing of the vertical bars li and lt away from the ear lobes.

While eyeglasses of the usual variety may be worn with this type of helmet, a built-in form of eyeglass may also be used in which the eyeglass fits upon the nose in the usual manner but the temples of the same are dispensed with, the side frames of the glasses being attached to the side bars H and It as shown at 21,

The frames may be made of metal covered with leather tape and rubber or any other material which will pass inspection and constitute a protection against hurting opposing players.

It will be appreciated from Figure 3 that the protective frame is bent both horizontally and vertically. The horizontal bending brings the open triangular frames in alinement with the side edges of the eyeglasses to a protective position with respect to the same; while the vertical bending causes the nose piece l9 to follow the bridge of the nose and also to add strength to the device; although this vertical bending is not i so essential in the side members of the device.

I8 in front of the V It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims. 7

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a head gear having a frontal member and ear lobes adapted to be worn by players with eyeglasses, a protective frame comprising upper and lower bars, said bars at the ends of said upper and lower bars forming a frame substantially into a rectangle, a middlebar extending between said upper and lower bars and curved vertically, means for suspending the middle portion of the top bar from the, frontal member of the head gear, an open triangular frame at each end of said rectangular frame having the divergent ends of its legs joined to the frame at the intersection of the upper and lower bars with the side bars, and fastening members on said triangular frames for attachment to the ear lobes.

2. In combination with a football or other head gear having a frontal member and ear lobes, a projective device comprising a frame carried by said frontal member and ear lobes and frame comprising upper and lower bars, side bars,

connecting said upper and lower bars adjacent said ear lobes, a middle bar connecting said up-,

per and lower bars in front of the nose leaving spaces to opposite sides of the same for visibility,

the said middle bar having a projection extending above said upper bar, means for attaching the projection to the frontal member to hold said frame with its upper bar in spaced relation;

below the frontal member of the helmet, open triangular frames extending beyond said side bars bent both horizontally and vertically along with said protective frame, and fastening members carried by said triangular frames for attachment to said ear lobes.

THOMAS PARK HOLLINGSWORTH. 

